Waycross will contract with the Georgia Municipal Association to ensure the city receives market compensation from telecommunication companies seeking access to city rights of way.
City commissioners passed a resolution authorizing Mayor Michael-Angelo James to enter into the agreement with GMA to provide consultation when a telecommunication firm wants to enter the market or renew an existing agreement.
GMA has legal counsel specializing in telecommunications and right-of-way access to ensure members are being properly compensated, City Attorney Cheslyn Green said.
City Acting Finance Director Patrick Simmons said the city currently has six contracts with companies accessing city rights-of-way.
The resolution was among four commissioners passed during their bimonthly Tuesday, September 1 in City Hall. The second approved submitting an application for a Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery for infrastructure while the others dealt with the revival of the city’s participation in the Georgia MainStreet program Commissioners also approved the second reading of an ordinance related to zoning, appointed James Brown to Post 8 on the Waycross-Ware County Planning Commission, and recognized Waycross Fire Department Driver-Engineer Aaron Goddard as the September City Employee of the Month.
All five commissioners were present along with Mayor James. There was no executive session.
Resolutions
Waycross will contract with the GMA on a prorated basis for the remainder of the year for $2,500. An annual agreement is $8,000 beginning January 1 with a 30-day termination clause, Green said.
The contract will make sure the city is receiving proper revenue for the access it’s providing, City Manager Ulysses “Duke” Rayford said. He said the proliferation of the telecommunications industry heightens the need for the city to have the best possible information on the structure of compensation in the future.
The city will seek the CDBG funding for street paving, flood and drainage improvements, and related infrastructure needs. Issues along Carswell Avenue are a target for some of the funding which will necessitate a supplemental conflict of interest document with the grant.
District 1 Commissioner Shawn Roberts owns property at 1310 Carswell, and the document will indicate he will receive no more benefit from any upgrades than any other area resident, Green said. Roberts abstained when the vote was taken.
One MainStreet measure supported establishing the program and the second approved steps to decide its composition. Each passed on a 4-1 vote. The city last participated in the program in 2018.
Ordinance
The ordinance passed on its second reading approved a zoning change from R-90 Residential to R-90 Office for a 1.3 acre parcel on Screven Avenue at Forrest Avenue and Raymond & Cooper Drive.
Central Baptist Church, which owns the tract, sought the change in order to subdivide a portion to open it for sale or for businesses to locate office space on the property. Commissioners approved the first reading at their August 18 meeting.
Appointment
Brown will join the planning commission after his acceptance of a nomination by Roberts and last week’s commission approval. He was appointed to fill out the remainder of a term that expires June 30, 2027.
Employee of Month Goddard joined WFD in 2019 as a firefighter. He was promoted to his current position in 2024 after completing all required classes and training, Chief Jim Blackburn said in nominating Goddard.
The chief said Goddard “continues to grow and mature in the fire service and is going to be one of its future leaders.” He said the honoree shows leadership skills “every day he’s on duty.”
Chief Blackburn offered an example by relating a recent training exercise that was conducted in high heat and humidity, pushing the heat indices well over 100 degrees.
“He suggested it would be a good idea to have an EMS unit on site just in case it was needed,” Chief Blackburn related. “And we actually did need that for a (instance of) minor heat exhaustion. That’s an example of the leadership qualities he has.”
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